What's Your Story: A writing retreat for fiction and memoir
What's Your Story: A writing retreat for fiction and memoir
Up to 8 in group
Nov 19 - 22, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- See the larger shape of your story
- Guidance on structure, tension & momentum
- One-to-one time with Jami Bernard
- Long, uninterrupted stretches to write
- Small, intimate group
- Seasonal meals & three nights at the Mill
- A 600-year-old watermill near Paris
About this Retreat
Jami Bernard is a writer, editor and book coach who knows stories.
She has spent years helping writers discover what their stories are really about — and find the structure, voice and momentum to tell them.
Jami is the founder of Barncat Publishing, a former film critic for the New York Daily News and New York Post, and the author of numerous books.
She brings a sharp editorial eye, curiosity and humour to the work — meeting each writer, and each story, where it is.
Kate Kemp-Griffin is the founder of Creative Mill — an entrepreneur, mindfulness facilitator, and author of Paris Undressed: The Secrets of French Lingerie. A mother of five and a mixed-media enthusiast, she creates warm, spacious, unhurried environments where women can reconnect with themselves and their creativity.
Drawing from motherhood, writing, and her own mindful creative practice, Kate brings a grounded, lived understanding of what it means to hold space for women — gently, spaciously, and without hurry.
"In stillness, creativity knows its way back."
Details of this retreat
A three-night writing retreat for writers of fiction and memoir who want to see the shape of their story more clearly — and move the work forward.
You may have an idea you can’t stop thinking about. A few chapters. A first draft. Or a manuscript you’ve been living with for years.
What’s Your Story? gives you time to step back from the pages and look at the larger shape of the work: what belongs, what doesn’t, where the story begins, what keeps it moving — and what it is really about.
With writer, editor and book coach Jami Bernard, we’ll explore structure, tension, momentum and resolution, with individual time devoted to your own manuscript.
And there is time to write. Long stretches to return to your pages, follow an idea, walk by the river, sit somewhere quiet, or talk something through.
Held at Creative Mill, a 600-year-old watermill just south of Paris, the retreat is intentionally small, with seasonal meals, quiet mornings and room for the work to breathe.
When the shape becomes clear, the story can move.
You may have an idea you can’t stop thinking about. A few chapters. A first draft. Or a manuscript you’ve been living with for years.
What’s Your Story? gives you time to step back from the pages and look at the larger shape of the work: what belongs, what doesn’t, where the story begins, what keeps it moving — and what it is really about.
With writer, editor and book coach Jami Bernard, we’ll explore structure, tension, momentum and resolution, with individual time devoted to your own manuscript.
And there is time to write. Long stretches to return to your pages, follow an idea, walk by the river, sit somewhere quiet, or talk something through.
Held at Creative Mill, a 600-year-old watermill just south of Paris, the retreat is intentionally small, with seasonal meals, quiet mornings and room for the work to breathe.
When the shape becomes clear, the story can move.
Schedule
A Sample Day
8:00 — Optional morning meditation
8:30 — Breakfast
9:30–12:30 — Morning workshop with Jami
13:00 — Lunch
14:00–17:30 — One-to-one sessions & writing time
While Jami meets individually with writers, the afternoon is yours to write, walk by the river, read, think, or use the open studio.
19:30 — Dinner
Evening — Your own time: write, read, talk by the fire, or simply wind down
The rhythm shifts slightly from day to day, with plenty of space around the structured sessions.
8:00 — Optional morning meditation
8:30 — Breakfast
9:30–12:30 — Morning workshop with Jami
13:00 — Lunch
14:00–17:30 — One-to-one sessions & writing time
While Jami meets individually with writers, the afternoon is yours to write, walk by the river, read, think, or use the open studio.
19:30 — Dinner
Evening — Your own time: write, read, talk by the fire, or simply wind down
The rhythm shifts slightly from day to day, with plenty of space around the structured sessions.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Directions
Book your flight to either Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or Orly Airport (ORY) in Paris, France.From either airport, it’s an easy and scenic connection to the village, where Kate will personally meet you for a smooth arrival.
From Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Take the RER B into Paris and get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame.
Connect to the RER C toward Saint-Martin-d’Étampes.
Kate will personally pick you up at Saint-Martin-d’Étampes for the short transfer to Creative Mill.
Total travel time: approx. 2 hours.
From Orly Airport (ORY)
Take the new Métro Line 14 directly to Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand (about 25 minutes).
Connect to the RER C toward Saint-Martin-d’Étampes.
Kate will meet you at Saint-Martin-d’Étampes for your transfer to Creative Mill.
Total travel time: approx. 1–1.5 hours.
From Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Take the RER B into Paris and get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame.
Connect to the RER C toward Saint-Martin-d’Étampes.
Kate will personally pick you up at Saint-Martin-d’Étampes for the short transfer to Creative Mill.
Total travel time: approx. 2 hours.
From Orly Airport (ORY)
Take the new Métro Line 14 directly to Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand (about 25 minutes).
Connect to the RER C toward Saint-Martin-d’Étampes.
Kate will meet you at Saint-Martin-d’Étampes for your transfer to Creative Mill.
Total travel time: approx. 1–1.5 hours.
Accommodation
Guests stay in comfortable rooms throughout the mill. There are two bedrooms with two single beds each, sharing a bathroom; three bedrooms with queen beds and shared bathrooms; and one queen bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Rooms are simple, comfortable, and designed to support rest and privacy during the retreat.
Twin Room — Shared Bathroom
Queen Bedroom — Shared Bathroom
Queen Bedroom — Ensuite Bathroom
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
A beautifully restored 600-year-old mill with light-filled rooms, quiet corners, an open studio, and surrounding nature that invites you to slow down.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Seasonal, homemade, mostly vegetarian food accompanies the week—quietly nourishing, with the warmth of a French kitchen. Meals unfold in a simple, generous rhythm:
What's Included
- 3 nights’ accommodation
- All meals throughout the retreat
- Focused writing workshops with Jami Bernard
- One-to-one manuscript session with Jami
- Dedicated, uninterrupted writing time
- Optional morning meditation
- Tea, coffee & refreshments
- Pick-up and drop-off at Saint-Martin-d’Étampes station
What's Not Included
- Travel to and from France
- Transport to Saint-Martin-d’Étampes station
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
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